Tanya Chaudhary Shatters Records but Faces Recognition Hurdles

Tanya Chaudhary broke the women's hammer throw national mark at the All-India Inter-University Championships with a throw of 65.60m. However, it won't be recognized as a national record due to the event's non-recognition by the national federation and lack of a mandatory dope test.

Tanya Chaudhary, an international athlete from Chandigarh University, surpassed the women's hammer throw national record at the 85th All-India Inter-University Championships on Friday. Her impressive throw of 65.60 meters goes beyond Sarita Singh's long-held record of 65.25 meters. However, the achievement will not be recorded as a national record due to the championship's lack of recognition by the national federation.

A crucial point of contention is the absence of an in-competition dope test, which Tanya admitted did not occur. Such testing is a prerequisite for national record validation by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Tanya, who recently represented India at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, aims for a 70-meter throw in future competitions.

In high jumping, 18-year-old Pooja Singh secured gold with a meet record of 1.85 meters, representing Lovely Professional University. While she couldn't reach her target of 1.93 meters, Pooja's future aspirations include setting a national record and competing at major international events. Meanwhile, Madras University claimed the overall title of the inter-university meet.

(With inputs from agencies.)